Vikings to focus on their QBs in tonight's exhibition opener

Jackson to receive a quarter of action

The Vikings have four quarterbacks, and none of them is named Brett Favre.

Tonight in their exhibition opener, the focus will fall squarely on the quarterbacks who are part of the team, not on the one traded from Green Bay to the New York Jets. Now that the Favre talk is dead, Vikings fans can concentrate on Tarvaris Jackson, Gus Frerotte, Brooks Bollinger and John David Booty.

Jackson and the starters will play at least a quarter against Seattle at the Metrodome, depending on how the game unfolds in terms of snaps for the offenses and defenses, coach Brad Childress said. Frerotte will play the second quarter, followed by Bollinger, who is fighting to make the team. Booty would play last if time remains to insert him.

No matter which one is on the field, the quarterbacks will be expected to manage the games and minimize mistakes. There won't be much pressure on them to win games this season; instead, the running game and defense will take the lead. But it's up to Jackson to avoid problems caused by poor decisions and turnovers.

After an offseason in which Jackson earned praise from his coaches and teammates for being more comfortable, he gets a chance to demonstrate that. He can't wait.

"Yeah, definitely, just going against a different jersey, different players, different coverages, different schemes, just try to test your mind a little bit," he said.

Jackson missed four games last season because of injuries, which means the backup quarterback has an important role, at least until Jackson shows he can stay healthy.

Advertisement

Right now, Frerotte admits, he's still adjusting.

"It's going to be interesting being back in this offense, getting the reads down and everything," he said. "I've been pretty comfortable the last few years because I've been running the same offense for a long time. This will be a challenge for me."

With 15 years' experience, Frerotte doesn't need much time to make the transition. He has played for seven teams, including a stint with the Vikings in 2003 and 2004. The exhibition games should help him fine-tune his understanding of the offense.

The Vikings have implemented their base offense and will add wrinkles. Frerotte understands the value of the exhibition season in the big picture.

"You've got so many guys, a lot of people playing, you don't get too complicated," he said. "You just keep it simple, keep base things you're doing in there. These preseason games are about trying to let guys play and let their abilities come out."

Frerotte doesn't have to win a job on this team. He's in Minnesota in case anything happens to Jackson.

Bollinger's situation is different. He is considered the quarterback most likely to be released because it doesn't make sense to carry four quarterbacks during the season. But he said his focus isn't on trying to impress the coaching staff.

"All I can do is go out and worry about myself," he said. "I don't know what all the scenarios are. I just do what I'm coached to do to the best of my ability and try to help this team get better. It's really basic and simple, but I think that's it. Anything outside of that only affects me in a negative way."

He said he's excited about the game, though, and wants to take advantage of his opportunities.

"Friday night, it's all about going out there and competing and try to move the ball down the field and score points," he said. "I want to go out and execute and play well and do that, but I want to go out there and cut it loose and put some points on the board."

Booty, a fifth-round draft pick from Southern California, is the type of young player Childress can develop. He is still learning the offense. And he must answer questions about his arm strength and whether it's good enough for the NFL. But already he has impressed Frerotte and Bollinger with his poise.